Overview

OpenBuildings Energy Simulator offers the capability of directly importing existing building models constructed in Hevacomp Design Database. This will import the building geometry and all associated properties such as surface types and room properties.

Method

1. Create a new OpenBuildings Energy Simulator Workset, and create a Standard project. Note that the DGN must be saved within the Workset folder - if not this error will occur.
   
   
2. Select File:
   
   
   
   
3. On the left hand side, select Import:
   
   
4. Select Exchange File types, and then Hevacomp DDB:
   
   
   
5. You can then Browse for your Design Database project folder:
   

The model will then be imported and after a few moments will appear in OpenBuildings.

Please note the below resolutions should you receive an error message upon importing:

Hevacomp Import error - “OpenBuildings Designer has detected a problem"

Hevacomp Import error "System.NullReferenceException"